Leesburg Regional Medical Center was ranked as the number three hospital out of 20 hospitals in the Orlando metropolitan area by the U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hospitals rankings, released July 30.

The annual Best Hospitals rankings and rating, now in their 30th year, are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or for common elective procedures.

Leesburg Regional Medical Center was also recognized on the list as a high performing hospital in four specialty programs - heart bypass surgery, heart failure treatment, for the care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and in knee replacement surgery. "High Performing" is the highest rating U.S. News awards for these types of care and recognizes areas that were significantly better than the national average, as measured by factors such as patient outcomes.

"We are honored that our team has earned this sustained recognition for providing excellent, high-quality care to our community," said Don Henderson, President and CEO of Central Florida Health, the not-for-profit healthcare organization comprised of Leesburg Regional Medical Center, The Villages Regional Hospital, and TVRH Rehabilitation Hospital. "When we are acknowledged by a national publication that has very strict criteria for how they grade hospitals, and we stack up with some of the best hospitals in the state, it's just another validation of our caring experts who are by your side delivering life-saving treatment close to home."

In the past, the report ranked hospitals with a numbers-driven approach, but this year, U.S. News took a deeper look at the patient-centered care and the difference in patient population at 4,500 medical centers nationwide. The rankings are based primarily on objective measures, such as risk-adjusted survival and readmission rates, volume, patient experience, patient safety, and quality of nursing.